Nissan recalls certain 2026 Leaf EVs after two battery thermal incidents
Nissan has initiated a voluntary safety recall for potentially affected 2026 model-year Leaf electric vehicles after documenting two thermal incidents linked to a battery-manufacturing defect.
The incidents occurred in Japan on Feb. 16, 2026, and in the United States on March 2, 2026. Nissan decided to conduct the recall on March 24, according to the company’s safety recall filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
As a safety precaution, owners of potentially affected vehicles are being told not to charge them. Nissan also instructed owners to park the vehicles outside and away from buildings until the repair is completed.
What Nissan found
The condition involves possible damage to battery-cell cathode material. Nissan said its supplier identified the damage as resulting from a misalignment during a manufacturing transfer.
The cathode is a component inside a battery cell. Damage in the affected material can create a risk of a thermal event, making the issue significant for drivers even though the reported incidents were limited to two cases.
Nissan said it was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the condition. The company’s filing describes one incident in Japan and one in the United States; it does not describe either event as involving a crash or injury.
The recall applies to potentially affected vehicles, not automatically to every 2026 Leaf. Owners should use Nissan’s or NHTSA’s recall information to determine whether a particular vehicle is included before charging it or taking other action.
Actions Nissan has taken
Nissan issued a stop-ship and port hold for potentially affected vehicles on March 17, seven days before deciding on the voluntary recall. Those actions halted shipment and held vehicles at ports while the company addressed the battery condition.
The planned repair is to inspect each vehicle’s high-voltage battery and replace affected modules. That approach is intended to identify the battery components associated with the manufacturing problem rather than treating every vehicle as if all of its modules were affected.
The recall filing says dealers would provide rental cars until the remedy became available. That arrangement is intended to give affected owners an alternative while the vehicles remain subject to the charging and parking precautions.
What Leaf owners should know
The immediate issue for owners is not a change to ordinary driving instructions alone. Nissan’s notice changes how potentially affected vehicles should be handled while they await inspection: They should not be plugged in for charging and should be left outdoors, away from structures.
Parking outside reduces the potential consequences if a thermal event occurs while the vehicle is stationary. The instruction to avoid charging addresses a condition that Nissan linked to the vehicle’s high-voltage battery system.
NHTSA’s safety-issues database provides the federal search path for vehicle recalls and investigations. Owners can use the database and Nissan’s recall information to check whether their vehicle is included and to obtain dealer instructions.
The next repair step is a high-voltage battery inspection followed, where necessary, by replacement of affected modules. Until that remedy is available, owners of vehicles identified as potentially affected should follow Nissan’s no-charging and outdoor-parking instructions.
Sources
- Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26V188, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Search Safety Issues, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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